I Don't Believe In Your Love
by sendosenpai
Summary: In which Sanji doesn't believe in Zoro's love and Zoro has no idea of how to convince him it's real.
1. Chapter 1

"You know the reason why Nami will never get with you, right?" Luffy says, sitting on the rails of the ship in a precarious position.

It's nightfall. The air is fresh and clean and salty only in a way it can be when on a ship in the middle fo the sea. Sanji is sipping at a glass of wine, looking out towards the barely-visible waves, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and top buttons undone. He leans his arms against the rails and looks up towards his captain. "Why not?"

He has been rejected, once again, by the woman who holds his interests. Sure, he is not one to give up – especially when concerning Nami-san – but it does grate at one's self-esteem if they are time and time again rejected by the one they admire.

Luffy leans forward and whispers conspiratorilly, "Because someone else on this ship likes you," he mutters, before jumping off the rail and running inside the deck.

Sanji sips his wine. _Someone else_? He scoffs. He's not interested in anyone else.

Especially since everyone else on the ship is a _guy_.

…

Sanji doesn't bother finding out who Luffy claimed likes him. If they liked him and they had balls, they would approach him themselves. He wasn't going to seek them out.

And Sanji was kind of hoping Luffy was lying to help him feel better about himself.

The only other people on the ship aside from himself and Nami were Luffy, Usopp and Zoro. He couldn't imagine Luffy liking him – the guy's thoughts didn't span far past meat – and Zoro was basically a stone statue. Sanji knew that meant that if anyone on the ship liked him, it would be Usopp: he cringed at the notion and pushed it far, far out of his mind. Ignorance is bliss. If he doesn't address the problem, hopefully it will mellow down and he would be able to pursue Nami in peace.

A few nights later he finds himself cleaning the kitchen to the sound of the ocean waves. Sanji turns when he feels the presence of another; Zoro stands in the doorway, leaning against it.

"Why haven't you been chasing Nami as much?" he asks gruffly.

Sanji snorts. "None of your business, moss-head." He turns back to the kitchen appliances and scrubs them down angrily.

"None of my business?" he says gruffly with a snort. "How so, _love-_ cook?"

"Shut up," Sanji snaps through a cigarette. "It's my business whatever I decide to do with my time. Shove off."

"Whoa," Zoro says. "What are you getting so pissy about?"

Sanji looks at Zoro angrily through blonde lashes. "I'm not." He slams a saucepan back to the cupboard.

Zoro walks into the kitchen and grabs a teatowel. "At least let me help you dry all this stuff out," he says.

"I'm surprised you're not sleeping," Sanji snaps back. "Listen, just _go_."

Zoro ignores him and starts drying off a glass. "I heard what Luffy said to you the other day."

Sanji snorts. "Luffy says a lot of stuff to all of us. I think you're going to have to be a little clearer than that."

Zoro puts the glass in the cupboard. "About how someone on the ship likes you."

Sanjit gives Zoro a dirty look. "If you're here to tell me that nobody could ever like me, then you should just go! Seriously. You're such an idiot." Sanjit starts scrubbing the worktop with a rag. When he doesn't hear Zoro leave, he snaps, "What are you still doing here?" He drops the rag and turns around. "What, you want me to kick you out of here? Because I will!"

"Like you ever could." Zoro leans back against the work surface. "What's gotten you so upset, anyways?"

"I'm not upset," Sanjit spits out.

Zoro walks up to Sanjit, who stares him down throughout. "You look pretty upset."

"You look pretty ugly."

Zoro grabs Sanjit's chin, and just as Sanjit is opening his mouth to tell him to get his ugly face out of the kitchen –

\- he tilts head up to meet his in a kiss.

Sanjit freezes.

This – _this_ was who Luffy was on about? Out of all people who could have liked him – _Zoro_? At least with Usopp, it was unlikely he would make any proclaimations of love. Zoro?

When Zoro pulls away, Sanjit is still in a daze of confusion. Zoro looks at him, expressionless, still too close.

Close enough for Sanjit to punch him.

"What the hell?" Zoro says, gripping his jaw.

" _You_ can't say what the hell!" Sanjit says. "What was that about?" When Zoro hesitates, Sanjit kicks him in the gut. "You think you mess with me? You're as ugly as you are deluded!" Sanjit grabs Zoro's head and knees him in the forehead. "Why aren't you fighting back, stupid?"

Sanjit pushes Zoro away from him. Zoro grabs the table to right himself, wincing as he pulls himself into a standing position. "Do you usually beat up people who kiss you?"

Sanjit looks at Zoro, anger burning in his eyes. "I'm not dealing with this," he snaps. "Clean up the rest of the kitchen." He turns and leaves, slamming the kitchen door shut.

Zoro rubs his jaw and looks around the spotless kitchen. He slaps his forehead with his palm.

Only he would be dense enough to be unable to even tell the person he is infatuated with that he likes them.


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji avoids Zoro like the plague for the next few days.

Every time Zoro enters the room, Sanji leaves. Every time someone mentions Zoro's name, Sanji gets angry – angrier than he usually does. He's in a perpetual state of pissiness. It doesn't take long for Nami and Usopp to figure out that Sanji knows about Zoro's feelings, and Usopp doesn't seem keen on sorting them out.

"They'll figure it out," Usopp says.

"How much are we betting?" Nami asks.

Usopp, well aware of how stubborn his crew mates are, hesitates. "Nami –"

"No," she interrupts him. "I'll believe you if you put some money on the line. Money isn't for threats, it's for action." When Usopp hesitates in his cowardly fashion, Nami kicks back in a lawn chair on the deck. "You know they won't get over themselves. They're both as dumb as each other." She opens a book and her eyes flit over the pages.

Luffy sits on the table as Sanji cooks dinner. "Meat? Are you making meat?"

"Yes." Sanji slices through an onion efficently. He has been less talkative since Zoro tried to kiss him, well aware his crew mates knew of his feelings – Luffy had alluded to them just before Zoro decided to 'reveal' himself – and knew they were probably mocking him behind his back. Overall, Zoro's actions had made for a strained environment on the ship.

Luffy looks over his shoulder. "Zoro!" he shouts. "Zoro, Sanji's making meat!"

Sanji chops with more force. When he hears the footsteps get closer to the kitchen, he chops hard enough to crack the glass board in two and then throws his knife down in anger.

"Finished with your tantrum, curly-brows?" Zoro says cooly in a nonchalant tone.

"Tantrum?" Sanji shouts, his body starting to heat up, "Shut up, moss-head!"

"Moss-head? What are you getting angry at me for?" Zoro's eyebrows twitch. "You're the one whose been complaining this whole time and we're the ones who have to deal with it! Stupid love-cook." Zoro uncrosses his arms and takes a step closer to Sanji. Luffy, oblivious, continues to snack on miscellanious food items.

"Yeah, only because _you_ decided to-" Sanji, unable to even form the words, slams his hand down on the worksurface.

Luffy looks up as it splinters. "Hey, guys –" The two men look towards their captain, anger boiling in their gazes, and he laughs easily. "I think you're overreacting."

"Overreacting?" Sanji squeezes out, his body on fire now. "You think I'm _overreacting_?"

"Yeah, I mean, who really cares if Zoro likes you? I'm pretty sure he likes me too, otherwise he wouldn't be part of the crew." Luffy looks at Sanji oddly. "Even I thought Zoro was friends with you, even though you fight a lot." He then grins and laughs.

Sanji takes a deep breath and looks towards Zoro. "You ever touch me again and you'll be dead, hear me moss-head?"

Zoro just grits his teeth and looks away.

"I won't be made a fool out of," Sanji snaps. "I'm here to find the All Blue, not mess around with gay pirates."

Luffy laughs. "There's no gay pirates on this ship."

Both men ignore him.

"Fine," Zoro grits out after a silence. He turns and leaves.

 **More development in future chapters**


End file.
